Wendy Davis, Who Fought Abortion Restrictions in Texas, Reveals She Had an Abortion

Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis, who made national headlines last year after her marathon filibuster against a bill that would have restricted women's access to abortions, made a "difficult decision" when she had an abortion in the 1990s, she told "Good Morning America's" Robin Roberts in an exclusive interview.

Davis had the abortion in 1996 when doctors said her baby girl would be blind, deaf and in a permanent vegetative stage if she survived to term.

"Our baby had a severe brain abnormality," Davis told Roberts. "We knew that the most loving thing that we could do for our daughter was to say goodbye."

Two years before, doctors deemed it medically necessary for Davis to terminate an ectopic pregnancy, when an embryo implants outside the uterus.

The Texas state senator made headlines last year when she donned a pair of hot pink sneakers and filibustered for nearly 13 hours against bill in the legislature that would have severely restricted women's access to abortions. She is running for governor against Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott.

In her conversation with Roberts, Davis said her baby, who she named Tate Elise, still forms "a very important part of my life."

"We loved her as we love our living daughters, Drew and Amber," Davis said. "This was how my family confronted this tragic experience. I respect so much that people make their own decisions, and that that decision is the one that is right for them."

Davis' complete interview will air Monday morning on Good Morning America. Her memoir "Forgetting To Be Afraid" goes on sale Tuesday.